Overview:
Olympic Solidarity funding took centre stage at the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) Annual General Assembly Week in Auckland, as regional leaders pushed for a faster, more athlete-focused approach to preparing for the Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games. Officials urged Pacific NOCs to maximize available programmes and streamline funding access to better support athletes on the road to future international competitions.
AUCKLAND, 21 MAY 2026 (ONOC MEDIA)—The Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) placed Olympic Solidarity funding at the centre of regional Games preparation today, hosting a dedicated session during the ONOC Workshop on day four of the 2026 ONOC XLVI Annual General Assembly Week at the Hilton Auckland.
The session set out a faster, more flexible and athlete-centred approach to funding, and issued a clear call for National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to make full use of the programmes available to them.
The session formed part of the open afternoon programme of the ONOC Workshop, themed “From Strategy to Performance: Aligning Oceania NOCs for LA28 and Beyond.” Positioned within the wider AGA Week (17–23 May), it was one of the sessions opened to ONOC partners and invited stakeholders. It was delivered by Olivier Niamkey, Associate Director of International Olympic Committee (IOC) Olympic Solidarity in Lausanne, alongside ONOC Olympic Solidarity Unit Lead David Dugu and Mike Kohnof the ONOC Guam office.
“Everything we do is for the athletes. The programmes are there for you I encourage every National Olympic Committee to go back to the guidelines, look at the opportunities that match your strategic plan, and apply. We are at your disposal to support you.” said Olivier Olympic Solidarity, International Olympic Committee (IOC)
The session’s purpose was to help NOCs align Olympic Solidarity funding with their own Strategic Plans and strategies, clarify their responsibilities for planning, delivery, monitoring and reporting, and position themselves to plan funding utilisation through to LA28 and future Games cycles. Discussion centred on Olympic Solidarity’s key priorities for 2026–2028, the World and Continental Programmes, compliance and governance, and the strategic use of funding.
Opening the session, Olympic Solidarity reminded delegates that its work four years of daily support to NOCs, from applications and payments through to reporting is ultimately realised when athletes take to the world stage.
The office pointed to its scholarship holders at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, where almost all qualified and the region celebrated an Oceania medallist. NOCs were reminded that more than twenty World Programmes are available across the global Olympic family, complemented by Continental Programmes tailored to Oceania and the Olympic Games subsidy that supports NOC participation. A key message was that not every NOC in the region is yet drawing on the full suite of programmes available to them.
A central focus was the new way of working introduced for 2026. Following a decision by the ONOC Executive Board, the Continental Programme is now managed jointly by ONOC and the Olympic Solidarity International Office, with payments centralised through the IOC and applications and reporting handled on the Relay platform. The change is designed to protect athletes and programme beneficiaries and to ensure continuity of funding throughout ONOC’s RESET process and governance review.
“By bringing the Olympic Solidarity International Office into the process and centralising payments on Relay, NOCs will receive their funds faster, our turnaround so far this year is averaging under four days. That means our members can resource their programmes on time and position their athletes for the milestones ahead.” Said David Dugu, Olympic Solidarity Unit Lead, ONOC.
Flexibility, the session noted, remains one of Olympic Solidarity’s four guiding principles.
Closing the session, ONOC President Mrs Baklai Temengil-Chilton underscored how vital the funding is across the region and reaffirmed the Executive Board’s commitment to working with members to meet their needs.
“The Olympic Solidarity Committee and our Executive Board will work with you on a case-by-case basis to meet your priorities and needs. But you must take the opportunity and apply. As your President, I give you my assurance that we will work together, this is about all of us working in solidarity for our athletes,” said Baklai Temengil-Chilton, President, ONOC
The systems, compliance and forward planning strengthened now will shape Oceania’s readiness for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, the 2027 Pacific Games in Tahiti and the journey to Brisbane 2032…PACNEWS